Flat panel display device and vehicle

Abstract

The utility model provides a panel display device and a vehicle, and belongs to the technical field of optical display. The flat panel display device is applied to desktop display equipment and a vehicle, the flat panel display device comprises a flat panel waveguide and an optical machine, the flat panel waveguide comprises a coupling-in unit, a coupling-out unit and a waveguide substrate, the coupling-in unit and the coupling-out unit are located on the surface of the waveguide substrate or in the waveguide substrate, and a lens of the optical machine is opposite to the coupling-in unit. The coupling-in unit is used for coupling the image light beam from the optical machine into the waveguide substrate, and the coupling-out unit is used for coupling the image light beam coupled into the waveguide substrate out to an observation area. By adopting the structure, the size and the thickness of the panel display device can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of optical display technology, and in particular to a flat panel display device and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the development of optical display technology, in display devices, imaging is performed based on spatial optical solutions, and the image is directed to the direction of the human eye, so that the human eye can see the magnified virtual image. For example, in educational eye protection and game entertainment scenarios, imaging is directed to the direction of the human eye based on spatial optical solutions.

[0003] Since the spatial optical solution is implemented using solutions such as reflectors, the volume and thickness of the display device will be relatively large. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present disclosure provides a flat panel display device and a vehicle, which can reduce the volume and thickness of the flat panel display device.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a flat-panel display device, which is applied to desktop display equipment and vehicles, and the flat-panel display device includes a flat-panel waveguide and an optical machine; the flat-panel waveguide includes a coupling-in unit, a coupling-out unit and a waveguide substrate, and the coupling-in unit and the coupling-out unit are located on the surface or inside of the waveguide substrate; the lens of the optical machine is opposite to the coupling-in unit; the coupling-in unit is used to couple an image light beam from the optical machine into the waveguide substrate; the coupling-out unit is used to couple the image light beam coupled into the waveguide substrate out to an observation area.

[0006] In the solution shown in the present disclosure, a flat-panel waveguide is used to realize a flat-panel display device. The flat-panel waveguide is smaller in volume and thickness than a reflector in spatial optics. Therefore, the flat-panel display device can be made smaller in volume and thickness.

[0007] In an optional manner, the coupling-in unit is located on the central axis of the coupling-out unit, so that the brightness of the picture seen by the left and right eyes of the user is uniform, and the viewing experience is better.

[0008] In an optional manner, the flat panel display device further includes a turning unit; the turning unit is located on the surface or inside of the waveguide substrate and is located on the passage between the coupling unit and the waveguide substrate.

[0009] In the solution shown in the present disclosure, the flat panel display device further includes a turning unit. By providing the turning unit, the space of the coupling-out unit can be saved and the utilization rate can be improved.

[0010] In an optional manner, the turning unit includes a first turning subunit and a second turning subunit; the first turning subunit and the second turning subunit are symmetrical about the coupling unit and are both adjacent to the first side of the coupling unit, and the coupling unit is adjacent to the first side.

[0011] In the solution shown in the present disclosure, the turning unit is two turning sub-units symmetrical about the coupling unit, so the brightness of the left and right pictures can be uniform, so that the brightness of the pictures seen by the left and right eyes of the user is uniform, and the viewing experience is better.

[0012] In an optional manner, the width and length of the flat waveguide are both greater than or equal to 10 cm. In this way, the flat panel display device is a large-screen display device.

[0013] In an optional manner, the width and length of the outcoupling unit are both greater than or equal to 8 cm. In this way, the virtual image displayed to the user is relatively large.

[0014] In an optional manner, the coupling-in unit and the coupling-out unit are both two-dimensional gratings. In this way, the two-dimensional grating can expand the image light beam in the X and Y directions, so that the image light beam transmission is more uniform, thereby making the zero degree of the entire picture more uniform.

[0015] In an optional manner, the coupling unit is a grating for dividing the image beam from the optical machine into three sub-beams, and the transmission directions of the three sub-beams are different.

[0016] In the solution shown in the present disclosure, the coupling unit is a grating that divides the image beam into three sub-beams, thereby making it easier for the image beam to expand in the waveguide substrate.

[0017] In an optional manner, there are multiple waveguide substrates, and the multiple waveguide substrates are stacked, and each waveguide substrate corresponds to a coupling-in unit and a coupling-out unit.

[0018] In the solution shown in the present disclosure, there are multiple waveguide substrates, and there are many possible structures of the flat panel display device.

[0019] In an optional manner, the coupling unit is circular in shape, and its diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the lens of the optical machine.

[0020] In the solution shown in the present disclosure, the coupling unit matches the lens of the optical machine and is capable of receiving all image light beams output by the optical machine.

[0021] In an optional manner, when the coupling-in unit and the coupling-out unit adopt a grating structure, the coupling-in unit and the coupling-out unit are located on the surface of the waveguide substrate; or, when the coupling-in unit and the coupling-out unit adopt a reflector structure, the coupling-in unit and the coupling-out unit are located inside the waveguide substrate.

[0022] In an optional manner, the optical machine includes a micro-display chip and a collimating component for outputting the image light beam; the collimating component is located on the output light path of the micro-display chip.

[0023] In the solution shown in the present disclosure, the optical machine includes a collimating component, which can enable the image light beam to be transmitted over a long distance without diverging, thereby achieving a good display effect.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a vehicle, the vehicle comprising the flat panel display device as described in the first aspect or any optional manner of the first aspect;

[0025] The flat panel display device is installed on the back of the seat of the vehicle.

[0026] In the vehicle shown in the present disclosure, since the volume and thickness of the flat panel display device are relatively small, the space occupied by the vehicle is relatively small. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a flat panel display device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a slab waveguide provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 4 is a top view of a planar waveguide optical transmission provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 5 is a top view of a planar waveguide light transmission provided by another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 6 is a side view of a slab waveguide light transmission provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of a user viewing a flat panel display device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Illustration

[0035] 1. Planar waveguide; 2. Optical machine; 3. Turning unit;

[0036] 11. coupling-in unit; 12. coupling-out unit; 13. waveguide substrate;

[0037] 31. The first turning subunit; 32. The second turning subunit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present disclosure more clear, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] In current imaging scenarios (such as educational eye protection and gaming entertainment scenarios), display devices perform imaging based on spatial optical solutions, which results in large size and thickness of the display devices. In addition, although existing augmented reality (AR) glasses use optical waveguides, they are relatively small in size and cannot be applied to large-screen display scenarios.

[0040] In a large-screen display scenario, in order to reduce the volume and thickness of a display device, a flat panel display device is provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The flat panel display device is implemented using an optical waveguide, which can reduce the thickness and volume of the display device while ensuring the display effect.

[0041] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the flat panel display device is applied to large-screen display scenarios, including but not limited to education eye protection, game entertainment, and vehicle display. Specifically, the flat panel display device is applied to desktop display devices and transportation tools, desktop display devices include personal computers (PC), notebooks or tablet computers, etc., and transportation tools include cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, ships, airplanes, helicopters, lawn mowers, entertainment vehicles, amusement park vehicles, construction equipment, trams, golf carts, trains or carts, etc., which are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0042] See also Figure 1 In the large-screen display scenario, the flat-panel display device is relatively far away from the human eye, such as greater than 200 mm, and a virtual image is presented, which can achieve a large virtual image display effect.

[0043] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of a flat panel display device is provided. The flat panel display device includes a flat waveguide 1 and an optical engine 2. The flat waveguide 1 is an optical waveguide, which is a passive optical device and can achieve an optical pupil expansion effect. Figure 3A structural schematic diagram of a slab waveguide 1 is provided, and the slab waveguide 1 includes a coupling-in unit 11, a coupling-out unit 12, and a waveguide substrate 13. When the coupling-in unit 11 and the coupling-out unit 12 are located on the surface of the waveguide substrate 13, the coupling-in unit 11 and the coupling-out unit 12 adopt a grating structure (the diffraction efficiency of the grating structure can be designed according to actual needs so that the brightness of light seen by human eyes is consistent). When the coupling-in unit 11 and the coupling-out unit 12 are located inside the waveguide substrate 13, the coupling-in unit 11 and the coupling-out unit 12 adopt a reflector structure, which can also be considered as a geometric array structure. The coupling-in unit 11 is adjacent to the coupling-out unit 12. For example, the coupling-in unit 11 is located on the central axis of the coupling-out unit 12. The lens of the optical machine 2 is opposite to the coupling-in unit 11. Among them, the coupling-in unit 11 can also be called a coupling-in region, and the coupling-out unit 12 can also be called a coupling-out region.

[0044] When the flat panel display device is displaying an image, the optical machine 2 outputs an image beam, which is a beam containing image information, and the image beam can be natural light, P-polarized light, or S-polarized light. The image beam is incident on the coupling unit 11, and the coupling unit 11 couples the image beam into the waveguide substrate 13. The waveguide substrate 13 expands the pupil of the image beam, and outputs it to the coupling unit 12 during the pupil expansion transmission process. The coupling unit 12 couples the image beam out to the observation area, which refers to the area where the human eyes of the viewer (i.e., the user) are located. For example, the coupling unit 12 adopts a grating structure, and the image beam coupled into the waveguide substrate 13 is transmitted in the waveguide substrate 13 with pupil expansion. Each time the image beam encounters the coupling unit 12 on the surface of the waveguide substrate 13, part of the image beam is coupled out to the human eye through diffraction, and the remaining part of the image light continues to be transmitted in the waveguide substrate 13 until it is transmitted to the coupling unit 12 of the waveguide substrate 13 next time. In this way, an enlarged virtual image can be formed far behind the flat waveguide 1, thereby realizing large-scale long-distance imaging, and the field of view (FOV) of the virtual image is large, which improves the user's immersion. In addition, since the coupling unit 11 is located on the central axis of the coupling unit 12, the light is symmetrical about the central axis when the image pupil is expanded, so the brightness of the content seen by the left and right eyes of the user is uniform, and the user's viewing experience is better.

[0045] Among them, there are two ways to transmit the image light beam in the flat waveguide 1. The first way is: the image light beam output by the optical machine 2 is directly coupled into the waveguide base 13 through the coupling unit 11 for transmission. The second way is: the image light beam output by the optical machine 2 is coupled into the waveguide base 13 through the coupling unit 11 and the turning unit 3 for transmission.

[0046] In the first mode, the image beam is divided into three sub-beams by the coupling unit 11, and the three sub-beams enter the waveguide substrate 13 for transmission. In this mode, the coupling unit 11 is a grating for dividing the image beam into three sub-beams, and the transmission directions of the three sub-beams are different, see Figure 4 The transmission diagram of the image beam is shown in FIG. For example, the grating is a diffraction grating, and the three sub-beams include a +1-order diffraction beam, a -1-order diffraction beam, and a 0-order diffraction beam of the image beam.

[0047] When the coupling unit 11 splits the image beam into three sub-beams, Figure 4 A top view of three sub-beams transmitting in the waveguide substrate 13 is provided. Since the planar waveguide 1 is transparent, the image beam transmission process can be seen in the top view. Here, three sub-beams are used as an example for explanation. Of course, other numbers of sub-beams can also be used, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0048] The second method is: See Figure 5 In the top view of the image light beam transmission shown, the image light beam output by the optical machine 2 enters the turning unit 3 after passing through the coupling unit 11. The turning unit 3 turns the image light beam and couples it into the waveguide substrate 13 for further expansion. In this manner, the flat panel display device further includes a turning unit 3. When the turning unit 3 is located on the surface of the waveguide substrate 13, the turning unit 3 adopts a grating structure. When the turning unit 3 is located inside the waveguide substrate 13, the turning unit 3 adopts a reflector structure. The turning unit 3 is located on the path between the coupling unit 11 and the waveguide substrate 13, so that the image light beam output by the coupling unit 11 is coupled into the waveguide substrate 13 through the turning unit 3. The turning unit 3 is also referred to as a turning area.

[0049] Optionally, the turning unit 3 includes a first turning sub-unit 31 and a second turning sub-unit 32, and the first turning sub-unit 31 and the second turning sub-unit 32 are located on both sides of the coupling-in unit 11 and are symmetrical about the coupling-in unit 11, indicating that the first turning sub-unit 31 and the second turning sub-unit 32 have the same structure, and the first turning sub-unit 31 and the second turning sub-unit 32 are both adjacent to the first side surface of the coupling-out unit 12, and the coupling-in unit 11 is also adjacent to the first side surface of the coupling-out unit 12. Assume that a rectangular coordinate system is established with the coupling unit 11 as the origin. In the rectangular coordinate system, the direction toward the first turning subunit 31 is the +X direction, the direction toward the second turning subunit 32 is the -X direction, the coupling-out unit 12 is in the Y direction, and the coupling unit 11 divides the image light beam into sub-beams in left and right directions, which are incident on the first turning subunit 31 and the second turning subunit 32 respectively. The sub-beam received by the first turning subunit 31 is coupled into the waveguide substrate 13 in the Y direction, and continues to be transmitted in the first turning subunit 31 in the +X direction until it reaches the boundary of the first turning subunit 31. Similarly, the sub-beam received by the second turning subunit 32 is coupled into the waveguide substrate 13 in the Y direction, and continues to be transmitted in the second turning subunit 32 in the -X direction until it reaches the boundary of the second turning subunit 32.

[0050] It should be noted that the number of sub-beams coupled into the waveguide substrate 13 by the first turning subunit 31 is set according to the width of the outcoupling unit 12, and the number of sub-beams coupled into the waveguide substrate 13 by the second turning subunit 32 is set according to the width of the outcoupling unit 12. Figure 5 FIG. 4 shows that, for each turning subunit, four sub-beams are coupled into the waveguide substrate 13 .

[0051] It should also be noted that in the structure where there is a turning unit 3, when the coupling unit 12 is a rectangular area, the turning unit 3 turns the image light beam so that the image light beam also reaches the two corners of the coupling unit 12 (the two corners are the two corners close to the turning unit 3), thereby making the utilization rate of the coupling unit 12 higher and the volume more compact.

[0052] Optionally, the two sub-beams into which the image beam is divided by the coupling unit 11 include a +1st-order diffraction beam and a -1st-order diffraction beam.

[0053] Optionally, the turning unit 3 and the coupling unit 11 are one-dimensional gratings, and the coupling unit 12 is a two-dimensional grating. Alternatively, the turning unit 3, the coupling unit 11, and the coupling unit 12 are all two-dimensional gratings. When the coupling unit 11 and the coupling unit 12 are two-dimensional gratings, the two-dimensional gratings can expand the image light beam in the X and Y directions, so that the image light beam transmission is more uniform, thereby making the brightness of the entire picture more uniform.

[0054] Optionally, when the coupling-in unit 11, the coupling-out unit 12 and the turning unit 3 all adopt a grating structure, the coupling-in unit 11, the coupling-out unit 12 and the turning unit 3 can all be located on the same surface of the waveguide substrate 13, or different units can be located on opposite surfaces. For example, the coupling-in unit 11 and the turning unit 3 are located on the first surface of the waveguide substrate 13, and the coupling-out unit 12 is located on the second surface of the waveguide substrate 13, and the first surface and the second surface are surfaces on the waveguide substrate 13 that face each other.

[0055] Optionally, the first turning subunit 31 and the second turning subunit 32 are both rectangular areas. The first boundary of the first turning subunit 31 is flush with the boundary of the out-coupling unit 12, and the first boundary is the boundary of the first turning subunit 31 away from the coupling-in unit 11, and the second boundary of the second turning subunit 32 is flush with the boundary of the out-coupling unit 12, and the second boundary is the boundary of the second turning subunit 32 away from the coupling-in unit 11, so that the structure of the planar waveguide 1 can be made compact.

[0056] In an optional manner, the coupling-in unit 11 and the coupling-out unit 12 may be located on the same surface or opposite surfaces of the waveguide substrate 13, wherein, when the coupling-in unit 11 and the coupling-out unit 12 are located on the same surface of the waveguide substrate 13, the coupling-out unit 12 does not pass through the waveguide substrate 13 when it finally outputs the image light beam, and when the coupling-in unit 11 and the coupling-out unit 12 are located on opposite surfaces of the waveguide substrate 13, the coupling-out unit 12 passes through the waveguide substrate 13 when it finally outputs the image light beam. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of image beam transmission located on the same surface is given.

[0057] In an optional manner, the coupling unit 11 has the same shape as the lens of the optical machine 2, but is slightly larger in size than the lens of the optical machine 2, so that the image light beam output by the lens can be fully incident on the coupling unit 11. For example, if the lens of the optical machine 2 is circular in shape, the coupling unit 11 is also circular in shape.

[0058] In an optional manner, the optical machine 2 includes a micro display chip and a collimating component. The micro display chip can be a chip such as liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS), a digital micro-mirror device (DMD), or a micro light-emitting diode (Micro-LED). The collimating component is a component used to collimate a light beam. For example, the collimating component includes at least one collimating lens. The collimating component is located on the output optical path of the micro display chip, and after collimating the image light beam output by the micro display chip, it is output to the coupling unit 11. Here, the image light beam output by the micro display chip can be imaged to infinity through the collimating component.

[0059] In an optional manner, the flat panel display device is a large-size display device, the flat panel waveguide 1 is a large-size optical waveguide, and the width and length of the flat panel waveguide 1 are both greater than or equal to 10 cm. For example, the size of the flat panel waveguide 1 is 25 cm*23 cm. The large-size optical waveguide is first patterned during production, and then etched and embossed.

[0060] In an optional manner, the width and length of the coupling-in unit 11 and the coupling-out unit 12 are both greater than or equal to 8 cm, so that a larger light output area can be provided and a larger virtual image displayed to the user can be provided.

[0061] In an optional manner, the grating structure mentioned above can be a surface relief grating structure or a volume holographic grating structure, and the slab waveguide 1 can be a surface relief grating optical waveguide or a volume holographic grating optical waveguide.

[0062] In an optional manner, the waveguide substrate 13 is one, and then the coupling-in unit 11 and the coupling-out unit 12 are both one.

[0063] In another optional manner, there are multiple waveguide substrates 13, and the multiple waveguide substrates 13 are stacked, and each waveguide substrate 13 corresponds to a coupling unit 11 and a coupling unit 12. In the normal direction of the waveguide substrate 13, the coupling units 11 corresponding to three waveguide substrates 13 overlap, and the coupling units 12 corresponding to three waveguide substrates 13 overlap. For example, there are three waveguide substrates 13, and the three waveguide substrates 13 are used to reflect red light, green light, and blue light, respectively, and the corresponding coupling units 11 and coupling units 12 are also used to diffract red light, green light, and blue light, respectively, so that a full-color image can be displayed.

[0064] It should be noted that the number of waveguide substrates 13 can be set according to actual needs, and is not limited in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] In an optional manner, the specific material of the waveguide substrate 13 is not limited in the embodiment of the disclosure, as long as the image light beam can be totally reflected therein. For example, the waveguide substrate 13 is made of a transparent glass material or a resin material.

[0066] In the disclosed embodiment, the flat panel display device realizes pupil expansion based on the flat waveguide 1, greatly compresses the optical path space, and makes the thickness of the flat panel display device relatively small, such as less than 10 mm. In addition, the coupling unit 11 is located on the central axis of the coupling unit 12, which can make the brightness of the content seen by the human eye uniform.

[0067] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a vehicle, which includes any of the flat panel display devices described above, and the flat panel display device is installed on the back of a seat. For example, the flat panel display device is installed on the back of the seat through a connection structure, and the connection structure includes but is not limited to a buckle connection. Figure 7 Provides a schematic diagram of a user viewing a flat panel display device. Figure 7 In the figure, the distance between the human eye and the flat panel display device is 0.5m, and the distance between the flat panel display device and the virtual image is 3m.

[0068] In the present disclosure, the terms "first" and "second" and the like are used to distinguish between identical or similar items having substantially the same effects and functions, and it should be understood that there is no logical or temporal dependency between the "first" and the "second", nor is there a limitation on the quantity and execution order. It should also be understood that although the following description uses the terms "first" and "second" and the like to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by the terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the various examples, the first turning subunit may be referred to as the second turning subunit, and similarly, the second turning subunit may be referred to as the first turning subunit. Both the first turning subunit and the second turning subunit may be turning subunits, and in some cases, may be separate and different turning subunits.

[0069] The term "plurality" in the present disclosure means two or more.

[0070] The above description is only an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure, and these modifications or replacements should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A flat panel display device, characterized in that: Applicable to desktop display equipment and transportation vehicles, the flat panel display device comprises a flat panel waveguide (1) and an optical machine (2); The slab waveguide (1) comprises a coupling-in unit (11), a coupling-out unit (12) and a waveguide substrate (13), wherein the coupling-in unit (11) and the coupling-out unit (12) are located on the surface or inside of the waveguide substrate (13); The lens of the optical machine (2) is opposite to the coupling unit (11); The coupling unit (11) is used to couple the image light beam from the optical machine (2) into the waveguide substrate (13); The outcoupling unit (12) is used to couple the image light beam coupled into the waveguide substrate (13) out to an observation area.

2. The flat panel display device according to claim 1, wherein: The coupling-in unit (11) is located on the central axis of the coupling-out unit (12).

3. The flat panel display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The flat panel display device further comprises a turning unit (3); The turning unit (3) is located on the surface or inside of the waveguide substrate (13), and is located on the passage between the coupling unit (11) and the waveguide substrate (13).

4. The flat panel display device according to claim 3, wherein: The turning unit (3) comprises a first turning subunit (31) and a second turning subunit (32); The first turning subunit (31) and the second turning subunit (32) are symmetrical with respect to the coupling unit (11), and are both adjacent to a first side surface of the coupling unit (12), and the coupling unit (11) is adjacent to the first side surface.

5. The flat panel display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The width and length of the planar waveguide (1) are both greater than or equal to 10 cm.

6. The flat panel display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The width and length of the outcoupling unit (12) are both greater than or equal to 8 cm.

7. The flat panel display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The coupling-in unit (11) and the coupling-out unit (12) are both two-dimensional gratings.

8. The flat panel display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The coupling unit (11) is a grating used to split the image light beam from the optical machine (2) into three sub-light beams, and the transmission directions of the three sub-light beams are different.

9. The flat panel display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: There are a plurality of waveguide substrates (13), and the plurality of waveguide substrates (13) are stacked and arranged, and each waveguide substrate (13) corresponds to a coupling-in unit (11) and a coupling-out unit (12).

10. The flat panel display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The coupling unit (11) is circular in shape, and its diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the lens of the optical machine (2).

11. A means of transport, characterized in that: A flat panel display device comprising any one of claims 1 to 10; The flat panel display device is installed on the back of the seat of the vehicle.

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